Professional Experience
As Research and Evaluation Manager for Willis Newson, the leading UK arts and health consultancy Karen was involved in the evaluation of arts and health projects for a variety of clients. She also developed and delivered training in evaluation skills for arts and health professionals.
In 2014-15, she was a project team member for Creative and Credible. This Economic Social Research Council (ESRC) funded knowledge exchange project between Willis Newson and the University of the West of England focused on improving evaluative practice in the arts, health and wellbeing sector. An important legacy resource for this project is the Creative and Credible website.
Professional memberships
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Associate Member Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and Member of the RSPH Arts, Health & Wellbeing Special Interest Group
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Member of the British Society of Gerontologists (BSG).
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Member of the INTERDEM Network (www.interdem.org)
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Member of the Social Research Association (SRA)
Event organisation:
- Words and Dementia seminar, University of Nottingham (March 2016)
- TAnDem Conference 2016: Research into Practice, University of Nottingham (September 2016)
Committees:
- Student representative, TAnDem Management Group (2017)
Publications and Dissemination
Peer-reviewed journal articles:
Daykin, N., Gray, K., McCree, M., and Willis, J. (2016). Creative and credible evaluation for arts, health and well-being: opportunities and challenges of co-production. Arts & Health. Published online 26 September 2016 (Open Access).
Refereed conference presentation:
Gray, K. (March 2017). Methodological challenges in arts and dementia: A critical perspective on the literature. 1st International Arts & Dementia Research Conference, London.
Haragalova, J., Klug, K. & Gray, K. (March 2017). Sensory Palaces: Learning & engagement in the historic royal palaces. 1st International Arts & Dementia Research Conference, London.
Gray, K. & Burke, E. (June 2013). Evaluation demystified: How to be confident, credible and creative. Culture, Health & Wellbeing International Conference, Bristol.
Invited seminars and workshops
Broome, E., Cousins, E., Gray, K & Veale, A. (March 2017). TAnDem (The Arts and Dementia): An interdisciplinary discussion on the value, content and purpose of the evidence base for the arts and dementia (Roundtable discussion). 1st International Arts & Dementia Research Conference, London.
Gray, K. (November 2016). Arts for people with dementia: Why is it so hard to show that it works? (Provocation) Arts & Health South West Annual Conference, Buckfast Abbey, Devon.
Broome, E., Cousins, E., Gray, K., & Veale, A. (April 2016). Researching arts and dementia (Workshop). Creative Dementia Arts Network Annual Conference, Oxford.
Websites
Project team member and copy creator and editor http://www.creativeandcredible.org.uk/.
Gray, K. (2016). The value of words, blog for Improving Dementia Education and Awareness (IDEA). Dementia Day-to-Day blog https://idea.nottingham.ac.uk/blogs/posts/value-words